Knitting machine



19, 1940- F. G. WEISBECKER 2,222,151

KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 20, 1958 Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Hosiery Patents Incorporated,

Lansdale, Pa. a

corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 20, 1938, Serial No. 214,803

14 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines, and more particularly to improvemerits in slur cam devices for use in advancing the sinkers of a straight knitting machine.

a In the conventional straight machines of today, the yarn. to be knit into fabric is first laid along the sinkers oi the machine and then looped about adjacent needles by advancing the sinkers. This advancement of the sinkers in some instances in has been secured by means of a slur cam moving transversely of the sinlcers and having direct engagement therewith. The usual practice of today, however, is to have the sinkers individually advanced by associated sinker jacks which are actuated in the operative movement by a slur cam. The present invention provides improvemerits in said slur cams, and these improved slur earns may be used for direct engagement with the sinkers to be advanced or for actuating sinker lacks where such are provided for advancing the usual sinkers.

Heretofore, the slur cams of straight knitting machines have been of rigid, unyielding material in the form of a solid metallic block having certain faces shaped to provide the desired cam surfaces. The prior general practice has been to mount these slur cams on slide plates adjustably disposed in slurcock boxes. It has also been proposed to provide means, such as a spring. for engaging the slide plate to yieldingly maintain the same in the forward position and to permit both the slide plate and the slur cam carried thereby to shift rearwardly in a fixed rectilinear path in event that an engaged jack or sinker should he accidentally interfered with in its northat operation.

The described prior constructions have certain definite disadvantages and limitations which are overcome by the improvements of this invention.

The present invention in a preferred embodimerit provides a slur cam, which is itself of resilient construction. This improvement eliminates the necessity for a specially designed slurcock box structure to resiliently maintain the slur cam and its supporting plate in the forward position. The present invention in a preferred embodiment also allows for yielding movement of the slur cam rearwardly with respect to its direction of travel as well as transversely of the direction of travel. Such improved construction affords a greater factor or safety than said prior constructions which yield only in a direction transversely of the direction of travel.

A slur cam in the preferred form of this invenas tion also has better wear-resisting characteristill tics, due to its inherent resiliency, than the prior slur cams which were made of solid metal blocks.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved slur cam device ior knitting machines.

A further object is to provide a slur cam which is inherently resilient.

Another object is to provide a slur cam device which includes a resilient slur cam and which may be readily used with and secured to any to conventional slurcock box slide plate without necessitating any change or modification whatsoever in said slide plate or the slurcock box within which the slide plate is disposed.

A still further object is to provide a simplified l5 slur cam device which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a slur cam device which during use will be efiective to advance the sinkers as desired under normal operating conditions, but which will yield in such manner, direction and to such extent as will certainly and definitely avoid injury or damage to the sinkers, their jacks if there be any, and other parts of the machine in the event an obstruction or other abnormal condition accidentally prevents the intended operation of the sinkers or their jacks.

-A still further object is to provide a yielding slur cam device which will avoid stoppage of the slur cam bar when the normal action of the slur cam device is resisted by accidental obstructions or other conditions and which will thereby relieve the coulier motion of the strain to which it would otherwise be subjected.

Another object is to provide a yielding slur cam device in order that it may be adjusted to force the, sinkers closer to the verge plate than has been heretofore possible. This improved construction will allow a more accurate adjustment without the possibility of damage to the machine parts, and will enable the machine to produce a more even course of loops and consequently a more evenly knitted fabric.

A further object is to provide a slur cam device which will avoid damage to the knitting machine parts in the event the slur cam is adjusted to project the sinker backs too close to the verge plate.

Another object is to provide a slur cam device which will automatically compensate for any 50 variation in the verge plate stop edge from a true linear edge.

A number of additional advantages and objects, which are provided by this invention, will be apparent from the following description, the apu pended claims, and the accompanying drawings which illustrate two embodiments of the present I invention.

- device shown in Figs. I and II.

Fig. IV is a top plan view of another form of slur cam device embodying this invention.

Referring now to the details of Figs. I and II in the accompanying drawing, the illustrated construction comprises a slur cam device A which embodies the present invention, and also a number of machine parts which are found in a conventional form of straight knitting machine commonly used in the manufacture of full-fashioned stockings. Fig. I is a transverse viewthrough a section of a straight knitting machine. The usual. straight knitting machine comprises a plurality of similar sections, each capable of knitting a stocking blank or part thereof. It will be understood that insofar as this invention is concerned, the several knitting sections of a straight knitting machine may have the same arrangement of yarn manipulating elements and may be operated together to produce simultaneously a plurality of similar stocking blanks or parts thereof. invention will, of course, be understood as being also applicable to knitting machines comprising a single section for knitting one stocking blank or part thereof at one time, as well as to knitting machines having a plurality of sections.

The illustrated conventional straight knitting machine parts include the usual sinkers III, the dividers II, the jacks I2, and the verge plate I3. Each section of the straight knitting machine has a series of these sinkers I9 alternating with a series of dividers II, and also a jack I2 associated with each sinker I0. In the normal operation of a knitting machine section, yarn to be knit is laid along its sinkers I and dividers II by a yarn carrier (not shown). The jacks I2, which are pivotally supported on the rod I4, are then shifted in succession in the forward direction by the slur cam device A. Each jack I2 during its shifting movement and by reason of its engagement with a respective sinker II) will project the latter between adjacent needles (not shown) to sink the yarn which has just been laid. Fig. I shows a sinker III in the advanced position and its cooperating jack I2 atthe limit of its forward stroke.

The verge plate I3 acts as a stop for both the sinkers I0 and dividers II to limit the extent of their forward movement and to fix the size of the loops of yarn when the latter is sunk and divided between the knitting needles (not shown).

Other conventional straight knitting machine parts shown in Figs. I and II include a slurcock box 20 secured to an actuating slur cam bar 2| and slidably mounted on a stationary guide bar 22. The slur cam bar 2| is longitudinally reciprocated to slide the slurcock box 29 back and forth along the guide bar 22 and cause the slur cam device A to advance the jacks I2 in succession. Fig. I shows the slur cam device A in engagement with a jack I2 which it has just advanced. A catch bar (not shown) advances simultaneously all of the dividers II after all sinkers I0 have been projected. This catch bar also restores the dividers II, the sinkers I2, and the jacks l3 to their rearward position at the proper time in the cycle of machine operations.

The illustrated slurcock box 20 has the usual unyielding but adjustable construction commonly used in conventional straight knitting machines. This slurcock box includes a plate 25 having a substantial part thereof adjustably disposed within a housing 26. The plate 25 is ad justable in either of the directions indicated by the arrow X of Fig. II. This adjustable feature is provided by a screw 21 and circular nut 28. The screw 21 is carried by the plate 25, and the circular nut 29 extends through a slot 29 which permits its rotation, but prevents axial movement thereof. A spring finger 30engages the knurled periphery of the circular nut 28 to yieldingly maintain the same in the desired position of adjustment.

The slur cam device A may comprise a rigidly mountable block 35, and a slur cam 36 formed of suitable yielding material. The block 35 is preferably formed of cold rolled steel, though any suitable material may be used in making the same. The slur cam 36 may be formed of any desired material which has sufficient rigidity to maintain substantially its original shape under normal operating conditions, but which will yield when the slur cam movement is resisted by a jammed or inoperative sinker III or jack I2. A preferred material for the slur cam 36 is a strip of spring steel, but other suitable materials will be apparent from an understanding of this invention. A strip of spring steel is preferred as it has long-wearing characteristics, may have the rigidity suited to the normal operating conditions of a slur cam, and may have the resiliency to permit yielding under abnormal conditions and to restore the slur cam 36 to the shape shown in the drawing when it is free to do so.

The slur cam 36 may be made in the form shown in Figs. I to III by bending, stamping or otherwise shaping, in any suitable manner, a flat bar or strip having the thickness and width desired for the final product. The strip forming the slur cam 36 is preferably so shaped that its central portion provides a cam face or surface 31 and the adjoining portions provide cam faces or surfaces 36 and 39 extending rearwardly and outwardly from the ends of cam face 31. The central strip portion is preferably so inclined (see Figs. I and II) that substantially the entire width of the cam face 31 may have engagement with each jack I2 in its forward position (see Fig. I).

The cam surfaces 31, 33 and 39 preferably correspond in shape, arrangement, and extent to the cam surfaces of the slur cams which heretofore have been made in the form of a solid block. It is, therefore, to be understood that the accompanying drawing illustrates the cam surfaces 31, 38 and 39 as found in conventional slur cams of solid, unyielding construction. The cam surfaces 38 and 39 are usually of such shape that each, during its operation, will completely advance each individual sinker, before the next adjoining sinker begins to sink the yarn.

To provide for mounting of the strip forming the slur cam 36, its opposite ends are inwardly bent and apertured at 40. These end portions may be secured to the block 35 by means of removable screws 4 I rivets, or other suitable means. The ends of the strip forming the slur cam 36 are preferably secured to the side or sides of block 35 facing the strip cam portions, in order that the block 35 will take the thrust directly from the slur cam 36 during operation and in tit lid

this way relieve the screws '4! of unnecessary strain. The block I! may also be provided with cut-out portions or recesses at opposite ends of one side thereof for receiving the slur cam strip ends as shown in Figs. II and III. The sides 42 of these recesses in block 35 may, by engaging the full extent of the end edges of the strip forming the slur cam 36, as shown in Figs. II and III,

cooperate with screws 4| to firmly maintain the ends of the slur cam strip in their proper positions.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Fig. IV. This embodiment B is substantially the same in all respects as the slur cam device A of Figs. I to III, except as to the, manner in which the slur cam and its rigidly mountable supporting block are secured to each other. The strip forming the slur cam 45 of the slur cam device B is shaped to provide the same cam surfaces 31, 38 and 39 as the strip of slur cam device A.' The strip forming the slur cam it, however, has its end portions arranged in overlapping arrangement and secured to the rear side oi the block 46 by screws 41, as shown in ti le. W, or by other suitable means.

In both slur cam devices A and B, the strip portions having cam surfaces 31, 38 and 39 are spaced from the supporting block and free to tier: as occasion demands. It will also be evident that the strip portions presenting cam surfaces till, iiii, it are of flexible construction andthat these cam portions are in turn resiliently supported by the strip portions extending laterally in opposite directions from the supporting block (it or it). Suitable apertures 50 are provided in. the blocks (35, 46) of the slur cam devices A and H to permit their attachment to the plate 2% of slurcock box 20 by means of screws 5|.

In the operation of the straight knitting machine, the slur cam device (A, for example) is shifted back and forth along the jacks l2 during reciprocation of the slur cam bar 2! by the coulier motion (not shown). The slur cam surface is efl'ective to advance the jacks 12 in succession during movement of the slur cam device A in one direction, and the slur cam surface 39 serves the same function during the reverse movement of the slur cam device A. The slur cam face 31 in both directions of movement of the slur cam device A functions to prevent rebound of the jacks i2 and to properly align them in their advanced position.

During operation of a straight knitting machine, it sometimes happens that a screw, nut or other element accidentally becomes lodged in the jack or sinker bed and interferes with the movement of the jacks and sinkers. It also often happens that a sinker or jack becomes jammed due to accidental, mechanical defects. Under such abnormal circumstances, the slur cam of this invention will yield upon contacting the inoperative iack or jacks, slide past the same, and then return to its original shape. In this manner, the slur cam avoids damage to the jacks, sinkers and other machine parts, as well as strain upon the coulier motion which drives the slur cam back and forth. The improved slur cam in a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in Figs. I to III for example, affords a large factor of safety as its construction permits yielding in many different directions in the plane of the slur cam so that it may readily adapt itself to any condition which is encountered.

It will be understood that the foregoing is illustrative, and that the invention includes all embodiments and modifications coming within the cslacfge of the appended claims.

' 1. A slur cam device comprising is rigidly mountable member having one or more apertures to permit said member to be secured to a supporting element as by means of a screw, and a strip of spring material having portions thereof detachably secured at two places to said member, a portion of said strip between said first mentioned portions being spaced from said member and shaped to provide a cam face and a cam surface extending outwardly and rearwardly from each end of said cam face.

2. A straight knitting machine slur cam device,

rial having its ends arranged in overlapping relation andsecured to the rear side of said member and its intermediate portion arranged opposite and in spaced relation to the front side of said member, said intermediate portion having such shape as to provide a cam face and a cam surface extending outwardly and rearwardly from each end of said cam face.

it. A slur cam device comprising a strip of flexible material shaped to provide a cam face, a cam surface extending outwardly and rearwardly from each end of said cam face, and end portions extending inwardly and toward each other for attachment to a supporting member.

5. A slur cam device comprising a. rigidly mountable member; a strip of flexible material shaped to provide a cam face, a cam surface extending outwardly and rearwardly from each end of said cam face, and end portions extending inwardly and toward each other, said end portions having their outer sides abutting on said member; and means securing said end portions and member in said abutting relation.

6. A slur cam device comprising a rigidly mountable block memberhaving recesses at the opposite ends of one side thereof; -a strip of flexible material shaped to provide a cam face, a cam surface extending outwardly and rearwardlyfrom each end of said cam face, and end portions extending inwardly and toward each other, saidend portions having their outer sides abutting on said member and being disposed in said recesses; and means for securing said end portions and member in said abutting relation.

'7. For use in a straight knitting machine having a series of sinkers to be operated in succession for sinking yarn between knitting needles and having a driving member reciprocable in a path substantiallynormal to the travel of the sinkers, a slur can device to be connected to said driving member for reciprocation therewith to operate said slnkers, said slur cam device comprising an element to be rigidly mounted on said driving member, and a resilient strip having different portions thereof secured to said rigidly mountable element and having the intermediate portion shaped to provide substantially similar cam surfaces for yieldlngly effecting the same operation of said sinkers in both directions of reciprocation of said driving member.

iii)

8. A straight knitting machine slur om device comprising a base member; and a strip of flexible material, said strip being shaped to provide a cam face, a cam surface extending angularly from each end of said cam face, and supporting portions extending between each of the outer ends of said cam surfaces and said base member to yleldingly support said cam face and surface portions in spaced relation with respect to said base member.

9. A straight knitting machine slur cam device comprising a rigidly mo'untablemembcr, and a resilient'band having a portion thereof spaced from said member and shaped to provide cam means for yieldingly operating sinkers or sinker jacks of a straight knitting machine, said band having portions extending from the opposite ends of said cam means portions and secured to said member.

10. A slur cam device comprising a flexible band shaped to provide a cam face, a cam surface extending outwardly and rearwardly from each end of said cam face, and portions extending from the end of each of said cam surfaces for attachment to a supporting member.

11. For use in a straight knitting machine, a

-reciprocable slur cam for operating a series of sinkers in succession, said slur cam comprising a resilient metal strip having portions to be supported and an intermediate portion shaped to provide a cam face and a cam surface extending outwardly and rearwardly from each end of said cam face, said cam surfaces being substantially identical and alternately active during reciprocation of the slur cam to advance said sinkers, and rigid means secured to said first-mentioned strip portions with said intermediate strip portion spaced from said rigid means.

12. The improvement in straight knitting machines having sinkers to be advanced in succession for sinking yarn between the machine knitting needles and having means for arresting the sinkers in the advanced position thereof, which improvement comprises a cam device reciprocable in a path normal to the operating movement of said sinkers, said device having means provided with cam faces and. a cam surface intermediate said cam faces, said cam faces being alternately active during reciprocation of the cam device for similarly advancing said sinkers in succession, said intermediate cam surface being effective to align advanced sinkers, said device having a yielding construction for maintaining said cam faces and cam surface in operative position during normal sinker advancing operations and for allowing yielding movement of said cam faces, and said cam surface both rearwardly and transversely with regard to the movement of said cam device during travel thereof in either direction of operation in event of said sinkers abnormally resisting operation by said cam device.

13. The improvement in straight knitting machines having sinkers to be advanced in succession for sinking yarn between the machine knitting needles and having means for arresting the sinkers in the advanced position thereof, which improvement comprises a cam device reciprocable in a path normal to the operating movement of said sinkers, said device including resilient material having cam faces thereon and a cam surface intermediate said cam faces, said cam faces being alternately active during reciprocation of the cam device for similarly advancing said sinkers in succession, said intermediate cam surface being effective to align the advanced sinkers, and said resilient material allowing yielding movement of said cam faces and cam surface both rearwardly and transversely with regard to the direction of movement of said cam device during travel thereof in either direction of operation in event of said sinkers abnormally resistant operation by the cam device, whereby said cam device may pass a sinker having an obstruction in its path of advancing movement and without damage to machine parts.

14. The improvement as defined in claim 13 in combination with an element supporting said cam device and reciprocable to provide reciprocation of said cam device, said cam device being adjustable relative to said element and in a direction paralleling the movement of said sinkers.

FRANK G. WEISBECKER. 

